In this video, I will show you how to quickly add your email and contact information to your LinkedIn profile so that recruiters will be able to reach out to you when they are interested in making a job offer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5YkSmNVxAE

Watch the video below as I demonstrate how it is done.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqC-Cmt1c4s

Endorsements are testimonials that are written by individuals who approve your work or service. It is nothing more than a brief recommendation letter given by someone who has experienced working with you or for you. These recommendations help future employers or clients decide if you are worthy enough to form a business relationship with.

Recently, I was giving a presentation to a group of students at Georgia State University. In that class I gave an example of how the endorsements on my LinkedIn profile helped me satisfy the questions of a prospective client who was considering me for a paid speaking engagement with their professional organization.

See the video below as I explain the proper way to ask for and receive endorsements.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnbKxViflgg

My boss wants to be my FB friend!?!?! I can’t even pose this as a question on my page! What’s the protocol? I can’t believe she did that? I’m feeling kinda pressured now -- but we sit right next to each other (ugh) and I feel it would be awkward if I don’t accept. What should I do?!?!

I often write blog posts about the positive aspects of having social media profiles. However, in this case, my friend has found himself in an awkward position. Does he ignore his boss’ request and feel awkward when he comes in to work or does he accept the request and feel like he has to watch everything that he posts on his account?

Don’t get me wrong, you should NEVER post anything online that you would not want your mother to read. However, many people use Facebook as a place to let their hair down and connect with friends. Oftentimes, we have friends who are are really fun to hang out with on the weekends, but not the type of friends that we would invite to the office party.

How do you keep your professional friends separate from your weekend friends on Facebook?

The video below is the solution I suggested to my friend’s dilemma.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=04X3M1t4qxY

What is an email signature line?

An email signature line is the few lines of information that is automatically added at the end of your outgoing email message. This message tells people who you are, what you do, and how to contact you.

Email signatures, which are also referred to as “sig lines”, are one the most under utilized marketing tool despite their amazingly powerful high return on investment. Email signatures should be thought of it as virtual business cards or online ads. Unfortunately, most people do not use email signature lines and this low cost strategy becomes a missed branding opportunity to drive readers to your website.

Consider this, if you average 5 emails sent per day, that would be a total of 1825 emails personally sent in one year. By not having a email signature line, you miss out on distributing your electronic business card or email ad to these potential buyers of your product or service.

One might argue that the people who they email already know who they are and what they do. This could only be further from the truth. I have been dating a young lady for a few years now and if you were to ask me to explain what she did at work, I would not be able to give you a good solid answer. Oh sure, I have somewhat of an idea, but not so much that I could confidently refer potential business her way.

Most of your friends can not explain well what it is that you do for a living. Your signature line offers them the opportunity to visit your personal branding page where they can read more about who you are and your expertise.

The basic components of a signature line

Before creating your signature line you should know that the general rule of thumb for the appropriate length of a signature line is four to six lines in length. Eight is the maximum that you should ever use.

Your signature line must include:

• Name
• Job Title
• Organization name
• Phone number
• Web address

Optional elements of a signature line can include:

• Tag line – see how to create a catchy tag line.
• Links to other social networks

Remember, your signature line is your opportunity to entice readers to visit your web site and learn more about who you are professionally. It’s also an opportunity to establish yourself as a recognized expert in your field of industry.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llm5qtQFZZk

Would you like to know what tweak I made?

I customized my Professional Headline.

LinkedIn defaults your professional headline with your current job title and company name. However, there is an option that allows you to change your headline and customize it with something more interesting about you or your expertise.

If you want to have more click throughs to your profile, customize your Professional Headline with something that is interesting and compelling.

Watch the video below to see how it is done.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkKwtYX2V6w

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The only catch is that this coupon code is only good for the month of May. Yes, I know, there are only 3 more days left in the month… that’s why you need to act fast. If you have thought about registering your own domain name but never got around to doing it, now is the time!

I just registered a domain name for a client today and my total cost was a dollar and some change. I think I will register a couple more domains before the end of the month. At this price you can’t loose.

Nevermind the beautiful looking GoDaddy model to the left… just go register your domain name now!

www.godaddy.com

Coupon code: INDY2010

It’s both of those — and more.

Used correctly, LinkedIn can be one of the most valuable weapons in your job-search arsenal.

To get the latest and best tips, I interviewed Rob Mendez, an expert onLinkedIn and other social media, who helps job hunters via his CareerNetworkMinistry.com web site.

Here’s what we talked about …

“First, you have to figure out your target audience and your goal withLinkedIn,” advises Mendez. “Use LinkedIn to network with as many people as possible, because it is not about who you know; it is about who other people know.”

He urges job seekers to make connections at companies they want to work for.

“If you can’t find someone to champion you at an employer, you may have a hard time competing.”

Another tip: Know that first impressions count for a lot on LinkedIn.

“If someone searching LinkedIn and you pop up, they quickly see three things: your name, your picture, and your headline,” says Mendez.

Your name, photo, and headline should be compelling enough to cause someone to click through and view your profile. Otherwise, people will move on to someone else.

How can you make these three items stand out effectively?

For a start, your name can repel more people than it attracts, so play it safe there.

“Some people include an e-mail address as part of their name, or numbers or special characters, in the hopes of being different. Yes, they stand out, but in an annoying way. LinkedIn is a professional network, so make sure your name looks professional,” advises Mendez.

What about your photo? Again, the more professional looking, the better.

“It does not have to be taken at a studio. It should a headshot of you dressed up nicely. Not a body shot, not wearing sunglasses, not at the beach,” says Mendez, who recalls one profile picture of a man in a hammock.

“If I am looking to hire someone, do I really want him working for me, based on this picture?”

What about the headline section of your profile? In a nutshell, make the most compelling claim or promise you can about yourself.

“If I search LinkedIn for a realtor, for example, I can find a thousand of them. The results will include headlines like, ‘realtor, realtor, realtor, real estate agent,’ etc. Then, one profile has this headline: ‘I’ll sell your house within 30 days guaranteed or I will buy it for cash, even if it is a bad economy.’ That person just got my attention,” says Mendez.

Attention is everything online. No employer will click through and read your profile unless you first grab their eyeballs.

Final LinkedIn tip: Use effective job titles on your profile.

If you owned a small business, for example, don’t refer to yourself as “Owner.” Because, how many employers want to hire — and butt heads with — a former owner of something? Call yourself a General Manager or something similar.

“I have talked to recruiters and they say it is perfectly fine to change your official job title,” says Mendez. “For example, I was once a Technical Systems Manager. When people look at that title, it doesn’t stand out and they don’t know what it is. However, if I change it to, Post Sales Implementation Project Manager, now they understand.”

Now, go out and make your own luck on LinkedIn, remembering that your goal is always to turn online connections into offline meetings — and job interviews.

Kevin Donlin is contributing co-author of “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.” Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. For a free Guerrilla Job Search audio CD, visit www.MyNewJobHunt.com

Resource: You can learn about Guerrilla Resumes, which can serve as the perfect foundation for your LinkedIn profile, here: http://ocollier.gjobnow.hop.clickbank.net/

In his video, Bret explained how blogging allows you to document and articulate how you can help others with things that matter to them most. He stresses that as an owner of a blog, you are not trying to become a professional blogger but rather showcase the value that you bring to your viewers. Blogging helps you become a recognized expert in your field of industry.

Here are a few tips that Bret offers:

1. Don’t quit blogging
2. Follow other people’s blog in your industry
3. Read blogs outside of your field of interest
4. Continue to improve what you are doing

Watch Brit’s video for yourself:

Bret L Simmons: Personal Branding: Three tips for the new blogger from Bret Simmons on Vimeo.

Employment Law

Today, I read a very colorful post from my friend, Jim Stroud. In his post, Jim interviewed Dr. Lisa  Harpe who is a Industrial Psychologist and Senior Consultant at Peopleclick Authoria Research Institute. Dr. Harpe’s expertise is  in developing and evaluating employment systems.

She currently works in the employment discrimination arena where she conducts statistical analysis of employment data to evaluate HR systems for evidence of employment discrimination. She advises companies on policies and procedures that may assist them in their efforts to comply with anti-discrimination regulations. In additon, Dr. Harpe is also the author of, “Social Networks and Employment Law: Are you putting your Organization at Risk?”

In short, Dr. Harpe was a very reputable guest for Jim Stroud’s interview on the topic of whether companies should use social media to find and recruit talent. As someone with a recruiting background, I found this interview to be quite interesting as Jim probed whether or not companies could face legal trouble using Facebook to recruit because of the potential discrimination threats it poses.

As someone who is building and managing your personal brand online using social media sites, you should take a moment to read the interview notes from Mr. Stroud at: Can I Get Into Legal Trouble for Recruiting On Facebook?